A 17-day-old female okapi calf at the San Diego Zoo took her first stroll around her exhibit this morning, staying near Mom and appearing a little tentative but curious about her new surroundings. The calf was born on May 19 and, until today, has been behind the scenes and out of public view in the Zoo’s okapi barn with her mother, Safarani.
Animal care staff report the calf is healthy and progressing well and has almost doubled her birth weight in a little over two weeks. This is the fourth calf born to Safarani and the 23rd okapi born at the San Diego Zoo.
Okapis are native to the Ituri Forest, a dense rain forest in Central Africa. The species is near threatened, mainly due to habitat destruction. It is believed there are currently less than 25,000 okapis in the wild. There are less than 90 okapis in zoos in the United States.
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